Recorder control mechanism



Nov. 26, 1946. R. A. LAKE j RECORDER CONTROL MECHANISM Z'SheetS-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. '50, 1945 INVENTOR. R088 A. LAKE A ORNEY.

Nov. 26,1946] R. A. LAKE RECORDER CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVE NTOR R033 A. LAKE JrfiW ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECGRDERCONTRQL MECHANISM Ross A. Lake, Oak Park, Ill.,gassi gnor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 111., a, corporation of Delaware with Application December 30, 1943, Serial No. 516,195

eration of the combination printer and perforator shown in copending application, Serial No. 495,551, fi1ed July 29, 1943, by 'A.-H. Reiber- Said copen'ding application discloses a page printer of the type shown in U. S.. Patent No. 2,247,408 modified to incorporate a tape perforating device which is connected to and controlled'by the selector mechanism of the page printer, so that simultaneous records are made on the page material and on the tape. In suchcombination printing and perforating devices, means is provided for correcting thepage record and the tape perforated'record simultaneously. In performing this operation the tape record is first backspaced, and after backspacing a sufficient number of characters representing the material to be deleted, the tape is again forward spaced, and simultaneously therewith the backspaced characters are then cancelled or deleted by perforating thereover a rub out signal. To make the record on the page agree with the perforated record, there is provided in the printer according to the copending application a means for simultaneously backspacing the printed record in correspondence with the backspacing operation of the perforated tape. Thus, when this correcting 8 Claims. (01. 178-92 the cumulative actuations of said rack bar are commensurate with the number of actuations of the backspace key. Then in response to the operation of the rub out key, theitransmitting cam shaft clutch is tripped and causes the transmitting cams to be rotated continuously so long as the rub out key lever is held depressed until the clutch 'is disengaged automatically, even though the rub out key is held depressed, by mechanism incorporated in the device of the present invention. The transmitting cam shaft has also a cam which operates on an escapement mechanism to release or return the rack bar step-by-step to its normal position,

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Fig, l is a plan view of the combination printing and perforating apparatus embodying the 7 presentinvention; 7

operation is performed the record on the page corresponding to the deleted record on the tape is cancelled by printing thereover 'acancellation character.

It isa feature of the present invention to pro vide-a mechanism which is operable initially by the backspacing instrumentalities of the perforator to condition a counting devicein accordance with the numberof backspaced code combinations of perforations to be deleted, and subsequently, by holding down the ,rub outor cancelling key, to delete only as many code combinations as have been backspaced, and no more.

Briefly, the device according to the present invention comprises arack bar which is actuated step-by-step by a pawl under the control of the backspace key of the perforating unit. For each operation of the backspacekey, the rack bar is moved the distance of one tooth and is maintained in this positionby a detent means so'that l.*' ig. 2 is a side elevationalview of the printer shown in Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figsol and 2 illustrating the device according to the present in-'- vention;

, Fig, 4 is a view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view of the forward spacing and backspacing instrumentalities of the perforating mechanism.

Having reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the numerios II and I2 denote generally the typing unit and the keyboard transmitting unit, respectively, of the printing telegraph apparatus shown in the afore-mentioned patent and copending application. The keyboard apparatus i2 comprises a base portion t3 on which is mounted the transmitting contact assembly which comprises a plurality of transmitting contact levers controlled by a corresponding plurality of cams on the transmitting cam drum or assembly M, which levers'are controlled sequentially by a series of cams, as disclosed in said afore-mentioned patent. The typing unit H comprises a platen I8 50. which moves in a rightward and leftward direcselector 2? (Fig. 2), and also the interponents 28 of the perforating mechanism 25.

The perforator 29 comprises a set of punches 3! movable through suitably spaced guide plates and coacting with a die plate to perforate a tape. The interponents 28 are provided with projections 32 so that when an interponent 28 i selected and moved rightwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1, the projection 32 will align with the punch 3! to cause it to perforate the tape, when the punch hammer 33 is rocked about its pivot 34. As indicated in Fig. and as fully disclosed in said copending application, the punch hammer has associated with it a pawl 35 which cooperates with a tape feed ratchet 35 fixed to the shaft or feed roll 3?. Pawl 35 and ratchet 55 accomplish the forward feeding movement of the tape.

The punch block also carries facilities for b fi spacing the tape, and as disclosed in the copending application, this backspacing mechanism is also effective to impart corresponding reverse movement to the page or web simultaneously with the backspacing movement of the tape. Carried in the punch block 29 is a backspace bar 4! having at its forward end a finge piece a 42'. The space bar 5! is suitably provided with a spring (not shown) which normally biases the bar 4! forwardly. A plate 43 is rotatably mounted on the feedroll shaft 37 and is arranged to be pivotally articulated at l l to the backspace bar ll. With this manner of connection, the plate 43 is rotated counterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. 5) and the backspace bar ll is actuated rearwardlyupon pressing the finger piece 42, and when the bar i! is urged forwardly by the spring (not shown) upon release of the finger on the finger piece 42, the plate 53 will be rotated clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 5.

' The plate 53 carries a pawl member 55 pivoted thereto at 45 (Fig. 5). Pawl 55 is' provided with an arm ll which is caused to bear against the side of the space bar 4! by the action of a spring 68 which continually tends to cause pawl 45 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 45. However, in the position shown in Fig. 5, the spring 58, in tending to rotate the pawl 45 so as to cause the end 47 thereof to bear against the side of the bar 5!, is prevented thereby from bringing the tooth of the pawl 55 into engagement with the teeth of the backspace ratchet 49. Now, when the space bar 4! is actuated rearwardly, the pivot 44 is correspondingly actuated rearwardly so as to rotate the plate in a counterclockwise direction. In so doing, the pivot is also moved counterclockwise with the plate 43 away from bar 4i so that the spring 48 is enabled to rotate the pawl 45 counterclockwise to bring the tooth of the pawl into engagement withthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 59. This is made possible by the fact that the pivot 45 is moved farther away from the side of the bar 4! so as to permit the pawl 55 to be rotated since the arm 41 is held constantly in engagement with the side of the bar 5! as the pivot 15 is moved with the tape '33. Then, as the bar 4! is urged farther in the rearward direction, the pawl 45 will rotate the ratchet 4 5 counterclockwise, thus causing the feed roll 3'! to rotate correspondingly to move the tape in a reverse direction (or rightwardly, as shown in Fig. 1). However, to enable the performance of the backspace operation, it is necessary to hold the feed pawl 35 out of en gagement with the main feed ratchet 35. .This

of the plate 43 to cam out the pawl 45 and disengageit from the ratchet 36 while the backspacing operation is being performed.

As fully described in the copending applica tion, the platen I8 is caused to be backspaced in accordance with the backspacing operation performed on the tape. Hence, the backspace bar ll is pivotally connected to a lever 5| (Fig. 1) which corresponds to lever of the copending application.

To achieve the object of the present invention, which is to control automatically the deleting or cancelling operation, there is pivotally articulated to the backspace bar 4| at 52 (Fig. 2) the upper end of a lever 53 which is rotatably carried on a pivot 55 appropriately supported in the printer l2. Pivoted at the lower extremity of the vertical lever 53 is a pawl 55 which normally tends to rotate in a, clockwise direction by a spring 55, but which rotation is controlled by a stud or pin 5'! fixed to a bracket 58 mounted on the base It. The pawl 55 is provided with a cam surface 59 which coacts with the pin 51 to normally hold the pawl 55 out of engagement with the teeth of a rack bar Bl. When the backspace bar M is actuated rearwardly (or rightwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2), the lever 53 will be rotated a predetermined amount clockwise about its pivot 55 thus moving the pawl 55 leftwardly. In moving-in this direction, the pawl 55 through its cam surface 59 will rotate clockwise to bring the tooth thereof into engagement with a tooth on the rack 5i, and the further movement of the lever 53 will cause the rack5i to be moved leftwardly a predetermined distance commensurate with one tooth on the rack. Then, as the bar 4| is released, the lever 53 will be returned to its vertical or counterclockwise position, causing the' cam surface 59 of the pawl 55 to rotate the pawl 55 counterclockwise out of engagement with the teeth on the rack bar 5 I.

As the rack bar 5| is thus actuated step-by-step in a leftward direction by the pawl 55, it is held in its stepped position by the tooth 62 of an escapernent pawl 63 which is pivotally carried on a bracket 64 mounted on the base portion H3. The pawl 53 is normally biased in a clockwise direction by a spring 55. The operation of the escapement pawl 53 to effect the return of the rack bar 5| to its rightward position (shown in Fig. 3) under the influence of spring 56 to cause portion 6'! of rack bar 8! to abut against the backstop 68 will be described hereinafter.

The rack bar 6| is provided at its left end (as Viewed in Fig. 3) with a lateral projection 69 having a beveled extremity which cooperates with a T-shaped lever 7| pivotally mounted at 12 on a bracket 13 suitably supported to the base structure [3. Lever II is also pivotally articulated at 15 to a key lever 15 so that as the key lever I5 is depressed, counterclockwise rotation is imparted to lever 1| about pivot 72. Lever H is so mounted on the pivots l5 and 72 as to be free to move sidewise under the influence of a spring 1? so that when the rack bar 6| is actuated one step from the extreme rightward position shown in Fig. 3, under the influence of the pawl 55, the extremity of the portion 69 will be moved free of the lever ll to permit the lever H to respond to the pull of its spring Tl so as to bring the end 18 of lever 'I l into the path of the portion 79 integral with the repeat space rod 8|. Then, when the key lever 15 is depressed, the lever II will be rotated counterclockwise and will engage the extremity 18 with the portion 19 However, to achieve the object of the present invention, the repeat space rod 8| has'been modified to respond to the operation of the rub out key lever I6 through the key lever I I, so that un-' 'der certain predetermined operating conditions,

as long as the key lever I6 is held depressed, the

link or repeat space rod BI will be actuated leftwardly to hold the bell crank lever 83 in its clockwise position. The bell crank lever 83 carries at the extremity of its horizontal arm an eccentric abutting screw 85 which cooperates with an arm 86 of a clutch release lever 81 rotatably carried on a shaft 88 'journaled in a pair of brackets 89 and 9I. The clutch release lever 81 is normally biased in a clockwise direction by a spring 92 to bring the vertical arm 93 of the lever 81 into cooperative relation with the driven portion 94 of a toothed or grab clutch carried on the transmitting cam shaft 95. As shown in Fig. 2', the driven portion 94 is a partof a toothed or grab clutch, the driving portion. of which is indicated as-96.

Having reference to Figs. 2 -and'3, the driven clutch portion 94 is provided with a flange 9I which is provided at 98 with a cam portion and I02 and '81 towardeach other. .The lever arm.

I04 is adapted to cooperate with the stop portion 99 of the driven portion 94. but in a difierent manner from the cooperation between arm 93: and the stop 99. The-portion 99 in this instance acts in the nature of a cam apex to cause lever I02; to be actuated in a clockwise direction each time the portion 99 cooperates with the arm I04. Thus, for each rotation of the cam portion, 99, the lever I02 is rocked. The lever arm I93 of lever I02 cooperates with the rearwardly extending portion I05 of the escapement pawl 63' so that each time the lever I02 is rocked, corresponding rocking motion is imparted to the pawl '63 to bring the teeth 62 and I06 thereon alternately or in escapement' manner into engagement with the teeth on the rack bar 6|.

General operation In the operation of the device according to the present invention, it is assumed that the rack bar 6| has been returned to the zero or rightward position shown in Fig. 3, with the portion 61 thereof abutting the fixed stop 68. In this position, the portion 69 is operative, through its beveled extremities to cam the lever II to its counterclockwise position against the tension of spring 11, thus holding head I8 of lever II out of cooperative relationship with portion I9 of repeat space rod 8|. Also, the levers 8! and I02 assume the positions shown in Figs. 3.and 4 with the driven clutch portion 94 held against rotaat 99 with a stop portion. As is known with this 7 type of clutch, the arm 93 cooperates with the side of the flange 91 so that as the clutch rotates in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow, the head of the arm 93 will cooperate with thecam portion 98 to slide the portion94 leftwardly so as to disengage the portion 94 from the portion 95, after which the head 93 cooperates with the stop 99 to prevent further rotation of clutch portion 94. When the bell crank 83 is actuated clockwise, it operates upon the arm 85 1 to rock the clutch'lever 81 counterclockwise to swing the arm 93 out of the path of the stop 99, permitting the spring I9I. (Fig. 2) to effect the engagement of the clutch portion 94 with portion 96 to initiate rotation of the clutch, and, of course, the cams on the transmitting cam assembly.

Normally, the rotation of the clutch portion 94 is limited to a single revolution of 360 degrees, because of the fact that the trip lever or link 84 is, after a predetermined period of engagement, automatically disengaged from the bell crank 83 upon each depression of a key lever, whereupon the lever 81 is immediately returned to its clockwise position to bring the head 98 into the path of the stop portion 99. However, with the structure according to the present invention the repeat space rod BI when being acted upon by the key lever I6, will hold the bell crank .83 in its clockwise position, and consequently, the clutch release lever 8! is likewise held in its counterclockwise position against the-pull of the spring 92 to permit continuous rotation of theclutch portion 94 (and the transmitting cam sleeve) for a predetermined period of time, depending upon the op'erationof the rack bar SI, as will presently appear. j

Also mounted on the shaft 88' is a lever I02 having oppositely directed arms 108 and I04 (Figs. 3 and'4). The spring ,92is' extended between the clutch release lever 81' and the arm I04 of lever I02, thus tending to rotate the levers associated cams.

tion. It is further assumed that .a tape is being perforated in the perforating unit, exemplified by i the punch block 29, and that it is desired to backspace the tape and to cancel the backspaced code combinations of perforations. To effect the backspacing of the tape, the backspace bar M is actuated, which, through the lever 53, operates the pawl 55, which in turn-engages the rack bar SI to move said rack bar along its slot 60, one tooth distance for each operation of the backspace bar 4!. As the'rack bar M is moved leftwardly away from the stop 68, the portion 69 also moves fur-, ther away from the lever I I, thus permitting the lever II to respond to the pull of its spring TI to bring the head I8 into the path of the portion I9 of the repeat space rod 8I. The number of backspaced code combinations having been determined by operating the back space bar M, the required number of times, and the tape backspaced accordingly, the rub out key I6 is operated and.

held depressed by the operator.

The principal feature of the present invention is to limit the number of deletions to correspond exactly with the number of backspaced code combinations regardless of the length of time the operator holds the key I6 depressed. When the key I6 is depressed, the lever II is actuated to strike against portion I9 to actuate the repeat space rod 8I leftwardly, which in turn causes the lever 83 to be rotated in a clockwise direction to impart counterclockwise rotation to the clutch release lever 81 which then permits the driven clutch portion 94 to engage the'driving portion 96 to effect continuous rotation of the clutch and. Hence, the continued rotation of portion 94 permitsthe portion 99 thereon to strike the arm I04 of lever I02 once for each revolution of the clutch to cause the rocking of the lever I02, which in turn through arm I93 causes the escapement pawl.63 to rock in escapement manner, bringing the teeth 62 and I 06 alternately into the path of the teeth on the rack bar- GI, which-rack bar 6-! is actuated or moved step- 7, by-step ina rightward direction by the spring 66 until the stop 68 is struck by the portion 61. Simultaneously with the abutment of the portion 61 against the stop 68, the portion 69 of rack bar 6|, through its beveled extremity, cams the lever H in a counterclockwise direction against the action of spring 11 so as to disengage the extremity 18 from the portion 19 of the repeat space rod 8!, thereby permitting the repeat space rod 8! to respond to its rightward bias by a spring (not shown) to withdraw the end 82 from the depending arm of bell crank 83. Thus the bell crank 83 no longer holds the clutch release lever 81, which is permitted to respond to the pull of its spring 92 to bring the head 93 into the path of the stop portion 99, thereby stopping the rotation of the clutch mechanism. It is seen that the stopping of the clutch in this manner is effected even though the operator holds the key lever 16 depressed; and only a definite number of steps or step-by-step actuations are imparted to the rack bar 6|, commensurate with the number of backspaced characters or code combinations.

Because numerous changes and modifications may be made without detracting from the spirit or scope of the present invention, it is intended not to limit the invention to the specific language of the foregoing description or to the details of the accompanying drawings, but to be permitted, instead, a latitude of construction as indicated by the hereunto appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a recorder, printing instrumentalities comprising platen means and typing means, pawl and ratchet mechanism for effecting relative movement between said platen means and said typing means, perforating means, strip moving means in said perforating means, signal controlled means for causing a predetermined similar response in said mechanism and said strip moving means, escapement mechanism for reversing the movement between said platen means and said typing means, backspacing mechanism for said strip moving means, means effective to control the operations of said escapement mechanism and said backspacing mechanism simultaneously, perforating instrumentalities, and means effective under certain conditions of operation for automatically controlling the operations of said perforating instrumentalities whereby the operations of said perforating instrumentalities are commensurate with the operations of said escapement mechanism and said backspacing mechanism.

2. In combination, a signal determining means, a first means for operating said signal determining means in one manner, a second means-for operating said signal determining means in a reverse manner, and self -limiting means effective following the operation of said second means for automatically operating said signal determining means in the first manner commensurate with the prior operation of said second means.

3. In combination, signal determining means,

a first means for operating said signal determin ing means in one manner, a second means for operating said signal determining means in a reverse manner, a controlling device, means effective in response to the operation of said second means for conditioning said controlling device according to said operation of said second means, initiating means, and means effective in response to the operation of said initiating means to control, following the operation of said second means, the operation of said first means an extent commensurate with the prior operation of said second means as. determined by said controlling device.

4. In combination, strip actuating means, a first means for operating said actuating means in one manner, a second means for operating said actuating means in a reverse manner, a controlling device, means effective in response to the operation of said second means for conditioning said controlling device according to said operation of said second means, initiating means, and means effective in response to the operation of said initiating means to control, following the operation of said second means, the operation of said first means an extent commensurate with the prior operation of said second means as determined by said controllin device.

5. In combination, a tape feeding means, a first means for operating said feeding means in one manner, a second means for operating said feeding means in a revers manner, control means comprising a stepping pawl and rack bar for governing the operation of said feeding means, means effective in response to the operation of said second means for operating said stepping pawl to condition said rack bar according to the operation of said second means, escapement means for controlling the release of said rack bar, initiating means, and means effective in response to the operation of said initiating means to control through said escapement means the release of said rack bar to govern the operation of said first means an extent commensurate with the prior operation of said second means as determined by said control means.

6. In combination, a tape feeding means, a first means for operating said feeding means in one manner, a second means for operating said feeding means in a reverse manner, control means comprising a stepping pawl and rack bar for governing the operation of said feeding means, means effective in response to the operation of said second means for operating said stepping pawl to condition said rack bar according to the operation of said second means, escapement means for controlling the release of said rack bar, cyclically operable means, initiating means, and means effective in response to the operation of said initiating means to control, through said' cyclically operable means, said escapement means to release said rack bar whereby the operation of said first means is limited to an extent commensurate With the prior operation of said second means as determined by said control means.

7. In combination, a strip perforating means, a first strip feeding device effective in one manner, a second strip feeding device effective in a reverse manner, a device adapted to be actuated by said second device according to the number of operations of said second device, and means effective under the control of said actuated device to reoperate said first device a number of times commensurate with the prior operation of said second device. I

8. In combination, a strip perforating means, a first strip feeding means for operating said perforating means in one manner, a second strip feeding means for operating said perforating means in a reverse manner, and measuring means efie-ctive following the operation of said second means for controlling the automatic operation of said perforating means in the first manner a number of times commensurate with the prior operation of said second means.

. ROSS A. LAKE. 

